Lami
Lami is a Nairobi-based digital insurance platform founded in 2018 that enables insurance agents and B2B2C partners across seven African markets to distribute motor, health, life, WIBA, and embedded insurance products from 30+ underwriters via its API-first platform, targeting Africa's sub-3% insurance penetration.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersNairobi, Kenya
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Lami does
Lami (legal entity LAMI Insurance Agency Limited) is a Nairobi-headquartered digital insurance platform founded in 2018 by Jihan Abass, operating across seven African markets (Kenya as primary, plus Malawi, DRC, with announced expansion to Egypt, Nigeria, and Uganda). The company addresses sub-3% insurance penetration in Africa by digitizing the full insurance lifecycle — quoting, policy issuance, renewals, claims, and commission management — through a cloud-based, API-first platform. The technology stack integrates 30+ underwriters (AIG, Allianz, Jubilee, Old Mutual, Madison, Pioneer, among others), identity verification via Smile Identity, and direct digital policy certificates to reduce fraud and processing time from a 90-day industry average to under one week for claims.
The core products fall into two layers. First, the Lami Agent Platform serves 1,500+ active insurance agents and brokers with onboarding, multi-underwriter quote comparison, instant policy issuance, renewals, claims tracking, and daily commission payouts. Second, the Embedded Insurance API enables B2B2C partners — fintechs, e-commerce platforms, logistics providers, mobility apps, HR platforms, BNPL providers, and SACCOs — to integrate insurance into their customer journeys within days, with bite-sized premiums starting at US$0.21 per trip (Sendy logistics partnership). The product portfolio spans motor, medical (individual and business), WIBA (Work Injury Benefits Act), home, travel, life, personal accident, and pension/annuities insurance, plus an Insurance Optimization service that analyzes corporate portfolios to eliminate coverage overlap — demonstrated at 70% premium savings for KFC Kenya across 22 branches.
Lami's revenue is primarily transaction-based: insurance commissions on policies sold through agents and B2B2C partners, API/platform licensing and transaction fees from embedded partners, B2B2C revenue-share arrangements, and quote-based professional fees for insurance optimization consulting. Distribution is hybrid — agent network plus API-driven embedded channels plus direct digital onboarding via lami.world — and the company monetizes the underwriter–agent–consumer triangle rather than bearing underwriting risk itself. As of the latest available data, Lami has sold 500,000+ policies cumulatively, employs 51–100 staff across Kenya, Tunisia, Serbia, and the UK, and has raised $5.5M total across two seed rounds (Accion Venture Lab-led 2021 seed and Harlem Capital-led 2022 seed extension), with an additional undisclosed Catalyst Fund grant in 2021.
Lami firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Lami
- Legal name
- LAMI Insurance Agency Limited
- Website
- https://lami.world
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Lami is a Nairobi-based digital insurance platform founded in 2018 that enables insurance agents and B2B2C partners across seven African markets to distribute motor, health, life, WIBA, and embedded insurance products from 30+ underwriters via its API-first platform, targeting Africa's sub-3% insurance penetration.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Lami industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Digital Insurance Platform
- NAICS
- Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities (5242), Other Insurance Related Activities (52429)
- SIC
- Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Embedded Insurance & Affinity Distribution Platforms (FSAGAGAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Embedded Travel Insurance Distribution & APIs (THALALAA), Embedded Insurance Distribution & Premium Financing (FSAGALAF)
Keywords
Where Lami is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nairobi
- HQ country
- Kenya
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices4 records
Markets served
Lami business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Insurance Commission Revenue: Lami earns commissions from insurance underwriters for policies sold through its agent network and B2B2C partners. The platform enables agents to sell motor, health, life, home, travel, and other insurance products, earning daily commission payouts.
- API/Platform Licensing: Revenue from providing API access to businesses that embed insurance into their platforms. Partners including fintechs, e-commerce platforms, logistics companies, and mobility apps pay for integration and transaction processing.
- B2B2C Partnership Revenue: Revenue share arrangements with B2B2C partners including HR management platforms, logistics companies, and BNPL providers. Lami provides the technology infrastructure while partners distribute insurance to their customer bases.
- Insurance Optimization Services: Premium savings services for corporate clients, restructuring their insurance portfolios to eliminate overlap and overinsurance. Lami charges for portfolio analysis and optimization consulting.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Agent Commission Model - Daily payouts for insurance sales |
| Subscription | Monthly | Platform Access - 30+ insurance companies for agents |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Lami product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Lami operates a digital insurance platform that enables insurance agents and brokers across Africa to distribute insurance products online, while also providing an embedded insurance API for B2B partners (fintechs, e-commerce, mobility, logistics) to integrate insurance offerings into their own platforms. The company distributes motor, medical, WIBA, home, travel, life, pension, and personal accident insurance products from 30+ underwriters to individual consumers, SMEs, and partner customers across 7 African markets.
Product overview
Lami is an end-to-end digital insurance platform operating as both a B2C insurance agent marketplace and a B2B2C API infrastructure provider. The core product is the Lami Agent Platform, which enables insurance agents to compare quotes from 30+ underwriters, onboard customers, manage policies, and process claims digitally. For business partners, Lami offers an Embedded Insurance API that allows fintechs, e-commerce platforms, logistics companies, and mobility apps to embed insurance products into their platforms. The product portfolio includes motor insurance, medical/health insurance (individual and business), WIBA (Work Injury Benefits Act) insurance, home insurance, travel insurance, life insurance, personal accident insurance, and pension/annuities products. An insurance optimization module helps businesses analyze and restructure their coverage to eliminate overlap and reduce costs. The platform collaborates with over 25 underwriters including AIG, Allianz, Jubilee, Madison, Old Mutual, and Pioneer, and has sold over 500,000 policies through 1,500+ active agents across seven African markets.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Lami Agent Platform A digital insurance distribution platform that enables insurance agents and brokers across Africa to sell insurance products online. The platform provides agents with access to a catalog of policies from 30+ underwriters, instant policy issuance, and digital policy certificates.
- Embedded Insurance API An API-based embedded insurance infrastructure that allows B2B partners in fintech, e-commerce, mobility, and logistics to integrate insurance offerings directly into their customer-facing platforms. Partners can offer motor, medical, travel, and other insurance products without building their own insurance stack.
- Insurance Optimization A consulting and brokering service for corporate clients that audits existing insurance portfolios, identifies coverage gaps and cost savings, and restructures corporate insurance programs with improved terms. Used by enterprises such as KFC.
- Motor Insurance Digital motor vehicle insurance sold to individual and business customers across African markets, with instant policy issuance and digital motor insurance certificates.
- Individual Medical Insurance Medical insurance product marketed to individual consumers and families for personal health coverage.
- Business Medical Insurance Group medical insurance sold to SMEs and corporates to provide health coverage to their employees.
- WIBA Insurance Work Injury Benefits Act (WIBA) insurance sold to employers to cover statutory employee injury benefits in line with local regulations.
- Home Insurance Residential property insurance sold to homeowners and tenants for protection against property loss and damage.
- Travel Insurance Travel insurance covering trip cancellation, medical emergencies, and luggage loss for individual and business travelers.
- Life Insurance Life insurance policies offered to individual consumers for financial protection of beneficiaries in the event of death.
- Personal Accident Insurance Personal accident insurance that provides payouts in case of accidental injury, disability, or death, sold to individuals across African markets.
- Pension and Annuities Insurance Pension and annuity products that provide retirement income and long-term savings solutions to individual customers.
Quantifiable outcome
- Claims processed in under one week versus 90-day industry average
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Lami
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Lami technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature6 records
Lami partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Unchorlight Kenya (ZARIBEE)corePartnership announced February 2023 to provide financial security for boda-boda riders through instant motor and personal accident insurance, plus credit life insurance on motorbikes issued on rent-to-own basis. The partnership enables riders to access affordable, efficient insurance through Unchorlight's ZARIBEE platform.
- SendycorePartnership with logistics startup Sendy to develop goods insurance cover per trip with premiums starting at US$0.21 for goods valued at US$85, covering goods worth up to US$7,600.
- Bluewave Insurance AgencycoreAcquisition of competitor Bluewave Insurance Agency in February 2022 to strengthen Lami's presence across seven African markets, expand product range, and increase policy growth. The acquisition added Bluewave's micro-insurance partnerships and expanded B2B2C capabilities.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Lami competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Turaco: Kenya/Uganda-headquartered insurtech offering embedded and micro-insurance products via digital and partner channels across Africa. Closest comparable to Lami in geography, customer segments (low-income, gig, SME), and B2B2C distribution model.
- Pula: Kenya- and Africa-focused insurtech building digital and embedded insurance products (notably agricultural and climate). Comparable to Lami in market geography, embedded/distribution-led model, and African investor/partner ecosystem.
- BIMA (Milvik): Mobile-delivered microinsurance provider serving emerging markets across Asia and Africa via telecom and digital partners. Comparable to Lami in targeting low-income, underbanked customers with micro-premium products and partner-led distribution.
- MicroEnsure (now Inclusivity Solutions): Microinsurance platform for emerging markets, distributing life, health, and weather insurance through mobile and partner channels across Africa and Asia. Comparable to Lami in low-income customer focus, embedded distribution, and African footprint.
- Sure (Sureify): Embedded insurance infrastructure platform providing APIs for digital distribution and policy administration. Comparable to Lami's B2B2C/embedded API offering, though Sure is more infrastructure/SaaS-focused and serves carriers globally.
Emerging players
- Boost Insurance: US-based embedded insurance infrastructure provider enabling digital platforms to launch insurance products via API. Comparable to Lami in API-first embedded distribution and partner enablement model, but serves US/global carriers rather than emerging markets.
- CoverGo: Insurance software platform providing policy administration, underwriting, and distribution tools for insurers and brokers. Comparable to Lami in API-driven insurance infrastructure, though positioned more as a SaaS vendor than a distribution-led platform.
Regional players
- Acko: India-headquartered digital-first insurer offering direct and embedded insurance via partner platforms (auto, e-commerce, mobility). Comparable to Lami in embedded product design and digital-first experience, though serves Indian consumers and partners.
- PolicyBazaar (PB Fintech): India's largest insurance aggregator and comparison platform distributing multi-carrier products through digital and partner channels. Comparable to Lami in quote-comparison across many underwriters, agent enablement, and emerging-market penetration.
Broad incumbents
- Lemonade: Public, US-listed AI-native insurer offering direct digital insurance across multiple lines. Comparable to Lami in technology-led claims handling, digital onboarding, and product breadth, but operates as a risk-bearing carrier at much larger scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Lami social profiles
Digital presenceLami compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Lami financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Lami leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Lami subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Lami funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors10 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Lami M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Lami
What does Lami do?
Lami operates a digital insurance platform that enables insurance agents and brokers across Africa to distribute insurance products online, while also providing an embedded insurance API for B2B partners (fintechs, e-commerce, mobility, logistics) to integrate insurance offerings into their own platforms. The company distributes motor, medical, WIBA, home, travel, life, pension, and personal accident insurance products from 30+ underwriters to individual consumers, SMEs, and partner customers across 7 African markets.
Is Lami a public or private company?
Lami is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Lami founded?
Lami was founded in 2018. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Lami based?
Lami is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, in the Africa region.
How does Lami make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Insurance Commission Revenue is the primary driver. The others are API/Platform Licensing, B2B2C Partnership Revenue and insurance Optimization Services.
Who are Lami's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Turaco, Pula, BIMA (Milvik), MicroEnsure (now Inclusivity Solutions) and Sure (Sureify). Emerging players are Boost Insurance and CoverGo. Regional players are Acko and PolicyBazaar (PB Fintech). Lemonade is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Lami have an API?
Yes. Lami provides an API-driven platform that enables businesses (banks, fintech apps, e-commerce platforms, transport platforms, SACCOs) to embed insurance products directly into their systems. The API allows for instant quote generation, policy issuance, claims processing, and real-time policy management. Partners can launch insurance products within days through this infrastructure. The platform serves B2B2C channels enabling insurance distribution through multiple underwriters.
What industry is Lami in?
Lami's product category is Digital Insurance Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAGAGAL, Embedded Insurance & Affinity Distribution Platforms, with a secondary code of THALALAA, Embedded Travel Insurance Distribution & APIs. Its NAICS code is 5242 and its SIC code is 6411.